iPage vs. GoDaddy (2016)

Two top-notch brands known for affordable, easy-access shared hosting, iPage and GoDaddy also offer options to scale with VPS and dedicated plans. Their prices are nearly impossible to beat, and both offer a well-rounded suite of tools, such as site builders, advertising credits, security monitoring, and 24/7 support. To pick a winner, you’ll have to carefully study the details behind each hosting plan and determine which works better for your needs. Compare the two hosting providers below and see which is the better fit.

Overall Hosting Comparison

Best Overall Rating

★★★★★4.9/5.0

With an excellent price-versus-performance tradeoff, iPage has plans starting at around $2 a month. Their shared offerings are hard to compete with, especially for folks that are new to web hosting and... read more +

With an excellent price-versus-performance tradeoff, iPage has plans starting at around $2 a month. Their shared offerings are hard to compete with, especially for folks that are new to web hosting and just need a simple site. With virtually unlimited everything, iPage is also a host that allows your site to grow with their support.

Aimed primarily at first time site owners iPage puts together an impressive and deep feature set. Not one but three site builders – Weebly, Website Creator and goMobi. If eCommerce is your thing, an online store builder is also included. Don’t have a domain yet? One is included free.

So now you have a new site, what do you do with it? To kick-start promotion for your site, iPage gives you $300-worth of marketing credits to get you started on Google, Yahoo/Bing, and Facebook, giving your site the exposure that any site needs.

Additionally, iPage offers a full security suite to keep your site running without worry. Daily malware scans, spam scans, and constant network monitoring are just some of the features. Full technical support is also part of the package by way of email or 24/7 US-based phone support with a promise to answer calls in two minutes or less.

From site-building tools and a free domain, to a jump-start on your marketing efforts, iPage has put together a very impressive package for their price and they should absolutely be considered for first-time users.

GoDaddy is exceptionally well-known in the hosting space — deemed the World's #1 Domain Name Registrar. They make it incredibly easy and affordable for folks to choose a domain name, sign up for hosting,... read more +

GoDaddy is exceptionally well-known in the hosting space — deemed the World's #1 Domain Name Registrar. They make it incredibly easy and affordable for folks to choose a domain name, sign up for hosting, and start building their online business or personal web property. While known for their domain, email, and shared hosting services, GoDaddy offers options for virtual and dedicated servers as well. They make the upgrade process as seamless as possible, so you shouldn't shy away from scaling your site as your business needs grow.

The user control options are pretty popular in the hosting space: your choice between the easy-to-use cPanel or Plesk control panels, plus Root (administrative) access for more tech-savvy customers. If you're particularly interested in webmail, GoDaddy offers their GoDaddy Workspace feature, an intuitive interface for keeping up with the unlimited email accounts you have available to you as a customer. All of this can be easily accessed and secured with your GoDaddy login info that you receive upon sign-up.

Customer support has been a focus of the GoDaddy team as they constantly work to improve. Today, they have an award-winning team of experts on staff, readily available to handle customer support tickets and emails 24 hours a day, seven days a week. While they're on hand to talk you through any issues, they're also keeping an eye on your server (as well as other clients sharing your server). Their security monitoring is round-the-clock and they guarantee uptime rates of 99.9% or better. This uptime rate is by no means outstanding in the industry, but for most end-users, it's all that's required. Their page load speeds (the time it takes for your webpages to load) are industry-leading, however.

The bottom line is this: GoDaddy is a go-to domain web host for millions of users world-wide for a reason. They maintain their ever-expanding network of users by offering blazing-fast load times, award-winning security and support, and a free domain name when you sign up for a year-long plan. It's a great hosting deal, particularly for first-timers and SMB owners, at a really great (low!) price point.

Cheap Hosting Comparison

Whether you're a first-time website owner or a web veteran, iPage’s excellent hosting services and fantastic list of extras make them one of the best values in web hosting.
... read more +

Whether you're a first-time website owner or a web veteran, iPage’s excellent hosting services and fantastic list of extras make them one of the best values in web hosting.

Unlimited disk space, bandwidth, and emails are just a part of what makes iPage’s shared hosting plans a great deal. They offer very good "suites" of extras focusing on web hosting necessities like security, marketing, and support.

If you don’t yet have a site, they include a free domain and website builder to get you rolling quickly. We especially love their inclusion of eCommerce templates and online shopping carts for the same low price.

Support is one factor that’s very important to us, as it should be to you. For customer support, iPage has US-based phone, email, and chat available 24/7. For the DIY crowd, they also have an extensive list of tutorials and helpful documents.

One of the very best budget web hosts out there, iPage offers great hosting features and server performance for a low price. If you are searching for a cheap, reliable web host, iPage should definitely be near the top of your list.

A main pull factor for GoDaddy's hosting services is certainly the cost. It's hard to beat web hosting for a dollar per month, especially when they include a free domain name (with annual plan sign-up),... read more +

A main pull factor for GoDaddy's hosting services is certainly the cost. It's hard to beat web hosting for a dollar per month, especially when they include a free domain name (with annual plan sign-up), cPanel control panel, and some of the industry's fastest webpage load times. They make it not only affordable but super easy to get started — for first-timers, bloggers, business owners, and others.

You can choose a GoDaddy hosting plan based on your needs, with a range of options for storage, email, processing power, et cetera. If your site grows to need scalable and/or dedicated resources, their team makes that transition easy as well. VPSs and dedicated servers can be provisioned in minutes, with Root and cPanel access, and no re-provisioning is required for upgrades. All GoDaddy plans are equipped with the user control of cPanel (or Plesk, if you prefer). From cPanel, you can easily install and set up popular web applications for blogging and/or eCommerce (e.g., WordPress, Drupal, or Magento).

A big name in the budget web hosting space, GoDaddy is consistently improving the performance of their servers, their site, and their services in order to offer a great customer experience. With cPanel control and 1-click installations for standard web apps, you can get your website up and running quickly. Their 24/7 security monitoring and DDoS protection allow you the comfort in knowing that the professionals are making sure your site is online, loading quickly, and hacker-free. That power and peace of mind — at such a low price point — is quite a value deal.

Dedicated Hosting Comparison

If you need a fast and flexible dedicated server, iPage offers a very solid option. Whether you’ve outgrown your previous host, or know you have larger-than-average needs, iPage has you covered without... read more +

If you need a fast and flexible dedicated server, iPage offers a very solid option. Whether you’ve outgrown your previous host, or know you have larger-than-average needs, iPage has you covered without breaking the bank.

Built on their cloud technology, server resources are provisioned instantly and migration is seamless. If you are unsure if you require a dedicated server, you can start with a VPS option and instantly scale up to a dedicated option. What’s even better is that iPage doesn’t charge overage fees if you go over your plan, because no one wants to be punished for getting popular.

Folks who are new to hosting should be pleased to hear that iPage offers fully-managed support for their dedicated servers, including access to all the latest development tools and languages. This includes help with configuration of Apache, MySQL, Email, DNS, and other programs, to save you time and effort. Each server runs on CentOS 6.4 and includes cPanel in the pricing.

Hardware setups are modern and robust with multi-core Intel Xeon CPUs, RAID 1 mirrored storage, and plenty of RAM.

The dedicated servers of iPage hosting are excellent choices and should satisfy most users' needs. At a price that’s very reasonable, with an industry-leading, anytime money-back guarantee, iPage's dedicated hosting plans are truly a high-value deal.

GoDaddy dedicated server hosting plans feature managed support options, on-demand resources that are all yours, and the intuitive user control of cPanel. They offer plans for Linux and Windows users, with... read more +

GoDaddy dedicated server hosting plans feature managed support options, on-demand resources that are all yours, and the intuitive user control of cPanel. They offer plans for Linux and Windows users, with a variety of options for operating systems, RAM, processing power, disk space, and hardware choices.

With award-winning security monitoring, GoDaddy support is not only available around the clock to help you troubleshoot issues with your server but they're keeping an eye on your server status. They offer a 99.9% uptime guarantee, which isn't significant in the hosting industry, but their team is committed to keeping your site online and running speedily. They offer premier DDoS protection, anti-hacking services, and other SiteLock security add-ons. GoDaddy managed hosting customers benefit from the assurance that the experts will facilitate security patches, bug fixes, and site backups. In general, customer support is an element of the hosting experience that GoDaddy is consistently striving to improve in their offerings.

With resource configurations customized to meet your needs, GoDaddy offers dedicated server hosting that you can grow your business with — starting with a free domain name if you start with a 12-month plan. The GoDaddy tech support team is available 24/7, guarding your site against malware, hackers, unexpected downtime, and DDoS threats; meanwhile, their support agents are handling any support ticket requests that come through their chat portal or email system. With on-demand resources and industry-leading page load speeds, GoDaddy is a dedicated host that's worthy of your consideration.

VPS Hosting Comparison

If you are looking for affordable VPS hosting and cPanel support, iPage offers a great deal. It's perfect for those savvy enough to know they need VPS hosting, but who don’t have the time or skill to... read more +

If you are looking for affordable VPS hosting and cPanel support, iPage offers a great deal. It's perfect for those savvy enough to know they need VPS hosting, but who don’t have the time or skill to mess with a self-managed system. Their managed services support will help with installation and common issues related to essentials like Apache, MySQL, Email, DNS, and many other programs.

High-speed, mirrored SAN storage is at the heart of iPage’s modern hardware. Each VPS plan comes with semi-private resources and guaranteed memory. For the price, the hardware specs offered are excellent.

They also offer remarkable 24/7 support, accessible via chat, email, or phone. Their predictable monthly costs come without usage overage charges, which is great for growing sites. A money-back guarantee is also standard.

For the cost and all the flexibility, features, and security you want in a VPS host, iPage has excellent hardware. When selecting a managed VPS host, you should feel confident giving these guys a try.

If you're looking to grow and scale your website — you currently need, expect to need, or want the option to require scalable resources on-demand, GoDaddy has you covered. They have options for... read more +

If you're looking to grow and scale your website — you currently need, expect to need, or want the option to require scalable resources on-demand, GoDaddy has you covered. They have options for cloud-based, virtual, and dedicated servers along side their shared server offerings. Upgrading to any of these options is a relatively-seamless process. For example, after provisioning your server (in mere minutes) before initial deployment, you won't have to re-provision should you choose to upgrade later.

Dev folks will be pleased to hear that GoDaddy offers Root access, so you can install PHP, modules, and proxy servers via the command line with ease. Plans also include cPanel, so you can easily manage your hosting service. Meanwhile, the GoDaddy team will monitor your server 24/7, including handling patches and backups should you select one of their managed plan options.

The GoDaddy name may not immediately bring VPS hosting to mind. Nonetheless, GoDaddy's cloud server offerings include the security, support, and value deal that together embody the GoDaddy reputation in the hosting space. They give you everything you need to scale your web presence in the Cloud.

WordPress Hosting Comparison

For those looking for an affordable and simple-to-navigate host for their WordPress site, definitely consider iPage. Their budget offering gives you a nice list of extras and they provide a great... read more +

For those looking for an affordable and simple-to-navigate host for their WordPress site, definitely consider iPage. Their budget offering gives you a nice list of extras and they provide a great alternative to shared hosting.

While not as robust and fast as more expensive options, iPage offers a great value in WordPress hosting. Their network boasts an SSD-based infrastructure with unlimited disk space, email accounts, and bandwidth. Other niceties include a free domain name and search engine marketing credits.

For those without a site design, iPage includes a number of curated WordPress themes for you to choose from. Each theme is tested for performance and usability. In addition, they include many pre-installed plugins, such as W3 Total Cache and Jetpack. Finally, Sitelock keeps your site secure and free of malware. 24/7 phone support is included on all packages in case you ever run into any issues.

One of our favorite low-budget web hosts out there, iPage offers great hosting features and server performance for a low price. If you are searching for a cheap, reliable web host, iPage should definitely fall towards the top of your list.

Upon first getting started with GoDaddy, customers who sign up for an annual plan receive a free domain name and the power to control their hosting via cPanel or Plesk control panels. From either of these... read more +

Upon first getting started with GoDaddy, customers who sign up for an annual plan receive a free domain name and the power to control their hosting via cPanel or Plesk control panels. From either of these interfaces, you can quickly install and set up the WordPress environment at no additional cost. Even if you don't sign up for a 12-month GoDaddy plan, they're still known as the World's #1 Domain Name Registrar, so they're a reputable choice for hosting your domain.

GoDaddy WordPress plans feature managed services, which means you don't have to worry about tedious details of maintaining the server on which your site is hosted (e.g., security patches and bug fixes). While you're busy adding content, photos, or products to your WordPress site, GoDaddy ensures that your web pages are loading quickly and hackers are staying away. GoDaddy offers award-winning security practices, including DDoS protection, 24/7 server monitoring, and the peace of mind in knowing that experts are not only watching your server but they're keeping an eye on the activity of other users sharing your server.

Folks seeking a WordPress website are in need of the WordPress install itself, the domain at which to host the site, and as many easy-to-use features for managing the WordPress site as possible. GoDaddy offers all of the above: the 1-click install, domain, email, security monitoring, and hosting management power via cPanel. Especially for the low, low cost, they're a fine choice for WordPress hosting.

Site Builder Hosting Comparison

Do you want your website built today? If you answered "yes," you should look no further than iPage. In fact, it's possible for you to be online before you even finish reading this article. Thanks to... read more +

Do you want your website built today? If you answered "yes," you should look no further than iPage. In fact, it's possible for you to be online before you even finish reading this article. Thanks to iPage's user-friendly interface, instant provisioning, and free domain name, you can have a live, attractive website in mere minutes.

For those that have been around the Web for a while, you may remember when it took a day to get your server online; thankfully those days are gone. Your site is live the second you complete your order with iPage. A domain name is also included, so the ordeal of purchasing a domain name, setting name servers, and waiting for them to propagate is also extinct. Once that's completed, you are taken to the incredibly user-friendly interface, where you can begin your site creation process.

Powered by Weebly, iPage's site builder makes it easy to have a professional-looking site created in minutes. It all starts with your choice of template — with hundreds of options available. From there, you can customize color schemes, fonts, and sizes, and add your own pictures and videos. Adding forms for comments, RSVPs, or business contacts is just as simple. Before you know it, you have an attractive, functional website.

From the ease of use, to the speed at which you are able to get a site live, iPage leaves us with little doubt as to why we've ranked them #1 on our list of web hosts with site builder functionality. An already incredible value, their 30-day money-back guarantee means that you can feel at ease knowing that iPage stands behind its product, and they're confident that you will be happy with their service.

GoDaddy uses a version of the InstantPage website builder to offer a user-friendly site-building solution to their customers. Most of GoDaddy's hosting plans include this website builder as an option at no... read more +

GoDaddy uses a version of the InstantPage website builder to offer a user-friendly site-building solution to their customers. Most of GoDaddy's hosting plans include this website builder as an option at no additional cost. Plus, if you sign up for an annual hosting plan, this world-leading domain name registrar will include your website's new domain for free.

The InstantPage site builder interface is incredibly easy to use and includes a lot of options for customization. While you worry about making your website beautiful and professional-looking, the GoDaddy team is working around the clock to ensure that your site will remain online and performing speedily. Their award-winning security team monitors the server that's supporting your website — keeping an eye out for downtime, hackers, and other security threats. They also keep an eye on the usage of other customers sharing your server. The end result is their uptime guarantee of 99.9%, which isn't much in the hosting world, but it does the job for most users.

The bottom line is that for a mere dollar per month you can get started with GoDaddy's website builder plan and choose from hundreds of theme options to start designing the site of your dreams. See it as a free website builder with hosting that costs a dollar per month, or a dollar per month spent on a site builder with the hosting included for free — either way it's a pretty sweet deal.

iPage vs. GoDaddy - Our Conclusion

Clearly, these two hosts are among the most popular providers for a reason. Both gain customers through attractive shared, email, and domain hosting packages, and both companies will be there to help you grow with VPS and dedicated hosting. You’ll get more features at the base level with iPage, but GoDaddy has more resources to offer as you become a more experienced site owner.

Other iPage Comparisons

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Other GoDaddy Comparisons

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